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How To: Build Claims-Aware ASP.NET MVC Web Application Using WIF

  • Article

Applies To

  • Microsoft® Windows® Identity Foundation (WIF)

  • ASP.NET® MVC

Summary

This How-To provides detailed step-by-step procedures for creating simple claims-aware ASP.NET MVC web application. It also provides instructions how to test the simple claims-aware ASP.NET MVC web application for successful implementation of claims-based authentication. This How-To does not have detailed instructions for creating a Security Token Service (STS), and assumes you have already configured an STS.

Contents

  • Objectives

  • Summary of Steps

  • Step 1 – Create Simple ASP.NET MVC Application

  • Step 2 – Configure ASP.NET MVC Application for Claims-Based Authentication

  • Step 3 – Test Your Solution

  • Related Items

Objectives

  • Configure ASP.NET MVC web application for claims-based authentication

  • Test successful claims-aware ASP.NET MVC web application

Summary of Steps

  • Step 1 – Create Simple ASP.NET MVC Application

  • Step 2 – Configure ASP.NET MVC Application for Claims-Based Authentication

  • Step 3 – Test Your Solution

Step 1 – Create Simple ASP.NET MVC Application

In this step, you will create a new ASP.NET MVC application.

To create simple ASP.NET MVC application

  1. Start Visual Studio and click File, New, and then Project.

  2. In the New Project window, click ASP.NET MVC 3 Web Application.

  3. In Name, enter TestApp and press OK.

  4. In the New ASP.NET MVC 3 Project dialog, select Internet Application from the available templates, ensure View Engine is set to Razor, and then click OK.

  5. When the new project opens, right-click the TestApp project in Solution Explorer and select the Properties option.

  6. On the project’s properties page, click on the Web tab on the left and ensure that the Use Local IIS Web Server option is selected.

Step 2 – Configure ASP.NET MVC Application for Claims-Based Authentication

In this step you will add configuration entries to the Web.config configuration file of your ASP.NET MVC web application to make it claims-aware.

To configure ASP.NET MVC application for claims-based authentication

  1. Add the following configuration section definitions to the Web.config configuration file. These define configuration sections required by Windows Identity Foundation. Add the definitions immediately after the <configuration> opening element:

    <configSections>  
    <section name="system.identityModel" type="System.IdentityModel.Configuration.SystemIdentityModelSection, System.IdentityModel, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089" />  
    <section name="system.identityModel.services" type="System.IdentityModel.Services.Configuration.SystemIdentityModelServicesSection, System.IdentityModel.Services, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=B77A5C561934E089" />  
</configSections>

  2. Add a <location> element that enables access to the application’s federation metadata:

    <location path="FederationMetadata">  
    <system.web>  
        <authorization>  
            <allow users="*" />  
        </authorization>  
    </system.web>  
</location>

  3. Add the following configuration entries within the <system.web> elements to deny users, disable native authentication, and enable WIF to manage authentication.

    <authorization>  
    <deny users="?" />  
</authorization>  
<authentication mode="None" />

  4. Add the following Windows Identity Foundation related configuration entries and ensure that your ASP.NET application’s URL and port number match the values in the <audienceUris> entry, realm attribute of the <wsFederation> element, and the reply attribute of the <wsFederation> element. Also ensure that the issuer value fits your Security Token Service (STS) URL.

    <system.identityModel>  
    <identityConfiguration>  
        <audienceUris>  
            <add value="http://localhost:28503/" />  
        </audienceUris>  
        <issuerNameRegistry type="System.IdentityModel.Tokens.ConfigurationBasedIssuerNameRegistry, System.IdentityModel, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">  
            <trustedIssuers>  
                <add thumbprint="1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ1234" name="YourSTSName" />  
            </trustedIssuers>   
        </issuerNameRegistry>  
        <certificateValidation certificateValidationMode="None" />  
    </identityConfiguration>  
</system.identityModel>  
<system.identityModel.services>  
    <federationConfiguration>  
        <cookieHandler requireSsl="false" />  
        <wsFederation passiveRedirectEnabled="true" issuer="http://localhost:13922/wsFederationSTS/Issue" realm="http://localhost:28503/" reply="http://localhost:28503/" requireHttps="false" />  
    </federationConfiguration>  
</system.identityModel.services>

  5. Add reference to the System.IdentityModel assembly.

  6. Compile the solution to make sure there are errors.

Step 3 – Test Your Solution

In this step you will test your ASP.NET MVC web application configured for claims-based authentication. To perform basic test you will add simple code that displays claims in the token issued by the Security Token Service (STS).

To test your ASP.NET MVC application for claims-based authentication

  1. In the Solution Explorer, expand the Controllers folder and open HomeController.cs file in the editor. Add the following code to the Index method:

    public ActionResult Index()  
{  
    ViewBag.ClaimsIdentity = Thread.CurrentPrincipal.Identity;  

    return View();  
}

  2. In the Solution Explorer expand Views and then Home folders and open Index.cshtml file in the editor. Delete its contents and add the following markup:

    @{  
    ViewBag.Title = "Home Page";  
}  

<h2>Welcome: @ViewBag.ClaimsIdentity.Name</h2>  
<h3>Values from Identity</h3>  
<table>  
    <tr>  
        <th>  
            IsAuthenticated   
        </th>  
        <td>  
            @ViewBag.ClaimsIdentity.IsAuthenticated   
        </td>  
    </tr>  
    <tr>  
        <th>  
            Name   
        </th>          
        <td>  
            @ViewBag.ClaimsIdentity.Name  
        </td>          
    </tr>  
</table>  
<h3>Claims from ClaimsIdentity</h3>  
<table>  
    <tr>  
        <th>  
            Claim Type  
        </th>  
        <th>  
            Claim Value  
        </th>  
        <th>  
            Value Type  
        </th>  
        <th>  
            Subject Name  
        </th>          
        <th>  
            Issuer Name  
        </th>          
    </tr>  
        @foreach (System.Security.Claims.Claim claim in ViewBag.ClaimsIdentity.Claims ) {  
    <tr>  
        <td>  
            @claim.Type  
        </td>  
        <td>  
            @claim.Value  
        </td>  
        <td>  
            @claim.ValueType  
        </td>  
        <td>  
            @claim.Subject.Name  
        </td>  
        <td>  
            @claim.Issuer  
        </td>  
    </tr>  
}  
</table>

  3. Run the solution by pressing the F5 key.

  4. You should be presented with the page that displays the claims in the token that was issued to you by Security Token Service.